"Aidez-moi, tout s'effondre puisqu'il n'est plus là,
Sais-tu mon bel amour,
Mon beau soldat,"

»«

Dana could barely feel her wrists, they were bound so tight. Her face had been cleaned up a little, but the young woman suffered from other bruises, hidden from view. Alpha - the name of the M.E.C.H leader she had since learned - had given her punishment for Ratchet's "insolence," as she called it, though the woman knew there was nothing justified about the beating. Alpha was purely a sadist.

Gentler hands from the third in command, Gamma, wiped the blood from her nose and took her to a secure cell, where she was allowed to eat and sleep. He seemed nice enough, but when she tried to make small talk or try to understand what was going on he was dodgey, avoiding questions and just briskly leading her to where she needed to go. It was more than enough to tell her that he was doing his best to not become attached.

It was obvious he was the weak link in this chain in command, and everyone seemed to know it.

When it was time for Soundwave to meet them at their destined place with Megatron, Dana fought. She twisted and growled, crying when Alpha used a thin whip-like rod to hit her back, treating her like an animal being herded for slaughter.

"Please," she begged, "I will do anything. Just don't hurt Megatron!"

Lockdown was displeased that the young human was attempting to bargain; if she managed to change even one person's mind, that could throw a wrench in their plans. Those who were in attendance seemed indifferent to her pleas, however, so he was put more at ease.

Their location of agreement was in the middle of a desert. Dana had no idea which desert, but it was there nonetheless. Once she stepped out of the chopper it was clearly over ninety degrees, perhaps even warmer, sweat breaking out on her oily skin immediately. Sand poured into her shoes and stuck to her pants, one of the most uncomfortable feelings ever. Squinting, she noticed they were the only ones around, a massive expansion of sand dunes spread before them.

"Beta, with me," Alpha instructed. "Gamma, you remain with the prisoner. If they don't show, Psi has a camera ready. We'll record the consequences of their actions right here."

Dana felt her throat close up, making it hard to breathe in the already suffocatingly hot air. "Please . . ." She whispered. "Run tests on me, pick me apart. But don't hurt Megatron or Soundwave."

"We have a preexisting deal," Alpha waved a hand dismissively. "Yours holds no value to us."

Lockdown warmed his weapon, waiting patiently, optics scanning the horizon all around them. Soundwave was highly intelligent, and it made the Decepticon uneasy that he was willing to give up his master for a human. Something was not right about that equation. He must have a trick.

About fifty yards out a Groundbridge opened before them, mirage-like in the heat waves of their current location. One of the M.E.C.H members took a swig of water before readying their weapons, Dana wishing she could have just a drop. It had only been a few minutes, but she was already thirsty.

The Groundbridge was inactive for an unnerving amount of time before Soundwave walked through, at first seemingly alone, but then it is revealed that he is dragging an unconscious Megatron behind him, the mech's large body creating deep rivets in the sand.

Lockdown centered his gun on the communications officer, waiting for the trick.

Soundwave merely set down his superior, having cut the distance in half, silence wafting across the empty expanse between them. He extended an arm, beckoning for Dana.

"Not until Lockdown gets what he wants," Alpha's voice cut across, sharp and intimidating. "Step aside, Soundwave."

Soundwave gazed at Lockdown, then finally did as asked, moving a bit closer to Dana but still far enough away to have plenty of reaction time should M.E.C.H double-cross him. Lockdown put his gun away, and took out his sword.

"No!" Dana screamed as he began to advance. "Soundwave, stop him! Please, please, please! I'm not worth this! Stop it, stop all of this, now!"

Her tears seemed to reverberate straight through his spark, yet he resisted the urge to go against his original plan. This is what Megatron would have wanted, in the end: the human over himself.

It was selflessness his leader had not displayed in a long, long time.

Before Lockdown got too close, the communications officer finally snapped into action. A Groundbridge opened up beside his leader, Lockdown jerking back as yet another popped up, the vortices whining loudly as they pulled against each other, Megatron blinking out of existence before his very optics.

"Soundwave!" He screeched.

The mech spun impossibly fast, deploying Laserbeak as his sharp, unforgiving arm swept across M.E.C.H ranks, Alpha hitting the dirt, but Beta was not as lucky, Gamma watching in horror as his superior's body went flying. He threw himself to the ground as another vengeful swipe decimated the ranks once more, the girl he had been tasked with keeping an eye on ducking beside him.

The survivors began shooting, Soundwave silently taking the shots as his tentacles came out and began to personally lay waste to the humans. Out of the corner of his optic he saw Lockdown take out his gun, avoiding the shot and an explosion ringing out as it hit one of the human vehicles.

"Do not shoot to kill!" Alpha screeched. "We need him alive!"

Soundwave slammed his arm against another chopper, tentacles picking it up and thrusting towards Lockdown, the humans no longer top priority. Dodging yet another blast, Soundwave recognised the new weapon he pulled out as something very similar to Knock Out's immobilizer, meant to stun his prey.

No matter, Megatron and the human were now safe, he was sure of that.

Soundwave transformed, knowing full well where Dana and Megatron had gone, needing to gain some space and enter the Shadowzone himself.

Gamma scrambled to his feet, grabbing his gun and rubbing his eyes as the sand that had gotten in them blurred his vision, blinking away tears as he aimed at the Transformer. The living robot ignored his shots, taking to the skies. He shouted in warning as Lockdown followed, taking a running start and stepping on the human, ignorant of his pleas.

Except when Lockdown did take a step, Gamma found himself alive and well, passing straight through the Transformer and watching the battle.

Alpha dusted herself off. "Everyone get back to the helicopters, we follow that Transformer!" She looked around, cursing. "He must have grabbed the girl. Let's go."

"Wait!" Gamma reached for her, his hand passing right through her. "What . . .?"

"Megatron!" Dana ran across the sand, feeling a little vertigo as the twisting dimensions of the Shadowzone played with her head, but she had one goal in mind: the prone mech laying in the sand a few yards away.

Gamma looked toward her, watching as she ran to the Transformer Megatron. His grip tightened on his gun, but for now he was too confused to act upon anything.

Her fingers touched the cool metal of the ex Decepticon, worried when she saw the patchwork on his side, Ratchet's expert welding evident, but it meant Megatron had been hurt at one point. She gently moved to his face, slightly pushing against it.

"Megatron, please wake up," she begged. "I need you."

Gamma swallowed, concerned when the Transformer did not move. If she needed him, he possibly needed him too. That was assuming Megatron would show him, a M.E.C.H operative, mercy.

"Where are we?" He asked, the young woman pausing in her desperate attempt to wake Megatron to look at him.

"I've never been here before," she said, "but I've heard of it. We are in the Shadowzone, an alternate dimension created by two Groundbridges being too close together." Looking around, she instinctively moved to grab her phone out of her pocket, but it was not there. M.E.C.H had clearly relieved her of any and all communication devices.

"How do we get out?"

Her hands fisted a little, still tied together. "The same way we were sent in. We need a Groundbridge."

"Okay . . ." Gamma approached Megatron, only to be met with hostility from the woman.

"Don't you dare come near him!" She snapped.

"I'm not going to hurt him," he held up his hands. "But we need to get him to wake up, right? He can get us a Groundbridge."

"That's assuming his comlink works here," she barely relaxed. "My friends that were stuck had to use text message. Their links don't receive text messages."

Gamma chewed his lip. He only had a radio, which was apparently useless here. Deciding he needed to gain her trust, he threw his gun to the side, as well as his hip pistol and knife, showing her empty hands.

"I think we both know it would be best to wake him up," he told her. "So, let's see if we can somehow shake him awake."

»«

Soundwave spun the in the air, blasting away as Lockdown followed close behind, continuing to fire at him. Laserbeak distracted him slightly, but the drone had one prerogative: escape capture. Soundwave would handle himself if need be.

Lockdown was just too close to risk Groundbridging, be it in the Shadowzone or Autobot base. Evasion was working, but his window of opportunity was shrinking.

And it was a clear day.

Lockdown centered on the communications officer, firing his weapon and forcing him to the right. As he did so the bounty hunter twisted.

"I finally have you," he growled, firing.

Soundwave blacked out as he was hit, the third in command spinning wildly out of control, Laserbeak slipping away as it's master fell into the ocean below.

"We're taking it in," Alpha told Lockdown over the comms. "We still need the information that it possesses. And if it will not give us what we want, we will take it by force."

Lockdown frowned, but agreed. Soundwave would pay for what Megatron could not.

»«

Ratchet watched as information downloaded to the Auotbot mainframe from Laserbeak, detailing everything that had happened. He cursed, hitting his fist on the table.

"Blast, Soundwave!" He growled to no one in particular. "What kind of half-processed plan was that?!"

"I don't understand why he didn't bother telling us," Chromia huffed. "We could have helped, maybe made a better plan."

Ratchet glared at the computer screen, then typed up coordinates on the Groundbridge.

"We need to get them out of the Shadowzone," he stated. "But Soundwave only used half of the coordinates with our Groundbridge, and then generated his own. But, I think if I also use the Spacebridge, and use his half of the coordinates, I can get them out."

"Is that not what you did for get Soundwave out?" She asked.

"Yes and no," he admitted. "I used the Groundbridge only to generate two portals, which is how it broke the first time. I don't know what a Spacebridge and Groundbridge will do."

Chromia frowned a little. "But it's worth a try, isn't it?" She asked. "Dana wouldn't object. In fact, she would want you to try."

"I know," he murmured, griping the Groundbridge activator. "I need you to be there to greet them should this work. Ready?"

"Always," she nodded, grabbing the Apex Armor and running through the Groundbridge once he activated it, waiting patiently for him to turn on the Spacebridge.

Dana saw her, warped as they stood on opposite dimensions. Gamma noticed her as well, their efforts to wake Megatron up fruitless. His eyes flickered to the pistol at his feet, noticing that Dana was too preoccupied with the other Transformer. He slipped the pistol into his waistband. More than likely, they would try to capture him or interrogate him; he needed to escape the moment the opportunity presented itself.

A massive portal appeared before them, Dana cheering as they materialised into their dimension.

"Chromia!" She called, running through the portal. "Megatron is in there, we need to get him out!"

Chromia nodded, placing the relic on her chest. "I'll get him," she replied as the armor made her bigger and stronger. "You stay here, and stay safe."

"Wait - " Dana went to warn her about the M.E.C.H operative, who had introduced himself as Gamma, but Chromia had already left, assuming she had been the only human present.

It proved to be a mistake, because when Chromia returned, a still unconscious Megatron in tow, the woman was white as sheet, hands clutching the arm around her waist, pistol against the side of her head.

"Don't try anything," Gamma snapped, stilling his nervous shake. "Or I will kill her."